Hajj season starts with nearly 2 mn pilgrims
Riyadh, Aug 19 : The Hajj season started on Sunday with the Day of Tarwiyah, the first ritual of the holy pilgrimage, in Mina, a neighbourhood of the Islamic city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, with 1,966,461 pilgrims.
The General Authority for Statistics announced the figure on Saudi Press Agency, with the total number of pilgrims to be announced on the evening of Arafat Day -- the most important Hajj ritual -- on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.
To ensure the safety of pilgrims, a comprehensive security and safety plan has been set up to transport people between ritual sites.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced another plan to protect the well-being of pilgrims with the allocations of 25 hospitals and 155 health centres at all sites with a capacity of 5,000 beds, 180 ambulances and 100 vehicles which were converted into ICU mobile units.
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US Consulate in Dubai reportedly attacked
Dubai: Smoke was seen rising from an area near the United States Consulate in Dubai, according to witness accounts cited by Reuters.
There was no immediate official confirmation on the extent of damage or whether there were any casualties in the incident.
Earlier, the US embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, was also attacked. Authorities reported damage to the premises, but no casualties were recorded.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran continuing to target US interests in the Middle East following deadly attacks launched on Saturday by Israel and the United States.
Near US embassy in Dubai pic.twitter.com/z5VTZNVxNO
— Sahil Shah (@thesahilsshah) March 3, 2026
